Compared to the previous quarter, the number of families who consider themselves as poor was lower by 7 percentage points at 52 percent, or around 9.4 million families.“The new self-rated poverty is 7 points down from 59 percent [estimated 10.6 million] in [the] second quarter, and just 6 points above the previous low of 46 percent [estimated 8.1 million] in December 2007,” SWS reported.

Around 29 percent of the respondents put themselves on the “poverty border­line,” and 19 percent consider themselves as “not poor.”

The survey also showed that the decline in self-rated poverty was higher in rural areas.

“The one-quarter decline in self-rated poverty was steepest in Mindanao. It fell by 16 points, from 68 percent last June to 52 percent in September, returning to the level of December 2007,” SWS reported.

Self-rated poverty fell by 7 points in the Visayas, by 3 points in Metro Manila, and by 2 points in the balance Luzon, which includes all regions on the main island except the capital region.

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Despite complaints, filed by consumers to the appropriate Government Agencies, the Philippines largest drinks manufacturer allegedly keeps on poisoning its national and international clientele. Established in 1890 as a brewery, the company is Southeast Asia's largest publicly listed food, beverage and packaging company with over 15,000 employees in more than 100 major facilities throughout the Asia-Pacific.

Allegedly about 50 percent of the bottle caps, used by the company to close their light beer and other drinks, are rusted. The problem mainly occurs after cooling the drinks. Consumption of rust can cause kidney and liver problems. The probability of not reaching the age of 40 in the Philippines is 8.9 percent, which is a much higher percentage compared to other countries like China, Singapore and South Korea. This is partly due to a relatively high number of kidney and liver diseases, many of which may be traced back to consumption of rust.

The prevalence of kidney diseases in the Philippines has been in an increasing trend, especially the end-stage renal disease (ERSD) as reported in the Philippine Renal Disease Registry (PRDR) in 2007. The rate of death due to end-stage renal disease has been in the top ten list of the mortality of the Department of Health (DOH - 2007). Reliable estimates reveal that the number of these patients might double in 2010. The number of patients in the Philippines with liver diseases is rapidly increasing as well.

The company carries the brand names of some of the most formidable players in the Philippine food and beverage industry. The company's flagship product, beer, is one of the largest selling beers and among the top 15 beer brands in the world. The Company's manufacturing operations extend beyond its home market to Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia and its products are exported to 60 markets around the world.

According to law firms, the brewery violates the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 7394 regulates among others the protection of consumers against hazardous drinks.